POEMS, EVERYONE? THE BLUE JAYS FANCY THEMSELVES POETS!

The Blue Jays will use "a softer, more feminine
marketing spin" this season, according to Mark Zwolinski of
the TORONTO STAR. Players "reading poems, earlier starts
for night games, more news on the JumboTron, new, dynamic
logos and slogans" are "all part of a fresh marketing
strategy launched by the Jays in a bid to rekindle"
excitement and attendance. The team aims to draw at least
2.8 million this year, an increase of some 200,000 over last
season. To do that, the Jays are targeting much of their
marketing at women. Blue Jays Communications Dir Peter
Cosentino: "We're trying to appeal to a broader base of
people. ... We want to be softer, but still have an
aggressive approach." Team research shows women make up
about 40% of the team's fan base -- 6% short of the MLB
average. One element of the marketing package includes
eight players reciting sonnet-style, baseball-themed poems
on local radio stations. New agency Ben Simon Byrne has
replaced the Stanford Agency on an improved, C$1M-plus
contract "to help sell the sizzle" (TORONTO STAR, 3/20).